The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-17

Bigotry and Sectarianism Disgust Peo-
pie with the Christian Religion and
Hinder the Triumph of the Gospel.
Intolerance Never Put Anything Down.
THE HAMPTONs, Aug. 14.-Today the
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage's sermon is
''Concerning the Bigots, and the text,
Then said they unto him, Say now
Shibboleth, and he said Sibboleth, for
lie could. not frame to pronounce it
right Then they took him, and slew
him at the passages of Jordan. judges
xii, 6.
Do you notice the difference of pro-
nunciation between shibboleth and sibbo-
lethf a very small and unimportant
difference, you say. And vet that diff
ference was the difference between life
and death for a great many people. The
Lord S people, Gilead and Ephraim, got
into "A great fight. and Ephraim was
worsted, and on the retreat came to the
fQrds Of the river Jordan TO cross. Order
was given that all Ephraimites COM
ing there be slain. But how could
ii be found out who were
Ephraimitcs: They were detected by
their pronunciation. Shibboleth was a
word that stood for river The Ephraim-
ties had a brogue Of their own, and when
they tried to say shibboleth always left
out the sound Of the III. =" When it was
asked that they say Shibboleth they said
Sbboleth, and were slain. Then said
they unto him, Say now shibboleth: and
he said SibbOleth, for he could not frame
70 pronounce it right. Then they took
him and slew him at the passages OF
Jordan. a very small difference, you
say, between Gilead and Ephraim, and
vet how much intolerance about that
small difference! The Lords tribes in
our timely which ] mean the different
denominations Of Christians sometimes
magnify a very small difference, and the
only difference between scores of demon
nations today is the difference between
shibboleth and sibboleth.
The church Of God is divided into q
great number of denominations. Time
would fail me TO tell of the Calvinists
and the Arminians, and the Sabbatarians
and the Baxterians, and the Dunkers
and the Shakers, and the Quakers, and
the Methodists, and the Baptists, and the
Epscopalians and the Lutherans, and
the Congregationalists, and the Presby'
terians, and the Spiritualists, and score
of other denominations of religionists
some of them founded by very good men
some Of them founded by very egotistiC
men and some of them founded by very
bad men. But as / demand for myself
liberty Of conscience, ! must give tina
same liberty to every other man, remem
beTing that he no more differs from ms
than / differ from him. / advocate the
largest liberty in all religious belief anC
form Of worship. In art, in politics, II
morals and in religion let there be no gal
law, no moving of the previous question
no persecution, no intolerance.
You know that the air and the waite
keep pure by constant circulation, and
think there is a tendency in religious dis
cus-i0n to publication and moral health
Between the Fourth and the Sixteenth
centuries the church proposed to max
people think Alright by prohibiting discus
sion and by strong censorshipof the press
and bv rack and gibbet and hot lead dow
the throat tried to make people orthodox
but it was discovered that you canno
change n mans belief by twisting off hi
head and that you cannot make ma,
see things differently by putting an aw
through his eyes. There is something i
a mans conscience which will hurl o.
the mountain that you threw upon il
and, unsinged Of the fire, out of the fam
will make red wings, on which the marty
will mount to glory.
In that time of which l speak, betwee
the Fourth and Sixteenth centuries, PEI
pie went from the house of God into til
most appalling iniquity, and right alon
by consecrated affairs there were tides {
drunkenness and RIGHTEOUSNESS such {
the world never heard of, and the yer
sewers of perdition broke loose and fioode
the church. After a while the printin
press was freed, and it broke the shackl
of the human mind. Then there came
large number of bad books. but whel
there was one man hostile to the Christia
religion there We're twenty men ready
advocate II; so have not any nervousne
in regard to this battle going on betwet
truth and error.
The truth will conquer just as certain
as that God is stronger than the dew
Let error run if you only let truth III
along with it. Urged ON by skeptic
shout and transcendentalist's spur, let
run. Gods angels of wrath are in h
pursuit, and quicker than eagles bea
clutches out a hawks heart Gods vel
geance will tear it to pieces.
propose this morning to speak to yc
of sectarianism-its origin, its evils, ar
its cures There are those who won
make us think that this monster, vii
horns and hoofs. is religion. / sha
chase it TO its hiding place, and drag
out of the caverns of darkness, and r
off its hide. But l want to make a di
tinction between bigotry and the lawf
fondness for peculiar religious beliefs al
forms of worship. / have no admiratiC
for Nottingham.
In world of such tremendous vicis:
tude and temptation, and with a soul tn
must after a while stand before throl
of insufTerable brightness, in day wht
the rocking of the mountains and {
flaming of the heavens and the upheav
of the sea shall be among the least of t
excitelnents, to give account for eve
thought, word, action, preference, al
dislike-that man is mad who has
religious preference. But our early ed
cation, our physical temperament, o
mental constitution, will very much q
eide our form of worship.
A style of psalmody that may plea
me may displease you. Some would Ii
to have a minister in gown and ban
and sllrplice, and others prefer to have
minister in plain citizens apparel. Sor
are most impressed when little child
presented at the altar and sprinkled
the waters of holy benediction, Sin t
name of the Father, and of the Son, al
of the Holy Ghost;'' and others are mo
impressed when the penitent comes ,
out of the river, his garments drippil
with the waters of baptism which 81
mites the washing away of sin. L
o,fl,oy bova his au-a Oua m.
likes no noise in prayer; not a word, M
whisper. Another man, Just as gooc
prefers by gesticulation and exclamatio
TO express his devotional aspiration.
One is just as good as the other Ever
man fully persuaded in his own mind -
George Whitefield was going over
Quaker rather roughly for some of hi
religious sentiments, and the Quake
said: George, am as thou art; j am fo
bringing all men to the hope of the Gos
pei; therefore, if thou wilt not quarrs
with me about my broad brim will nc
quarrel with thee about thy black gown
George. give me thy hand
i. Ia tracing out the religion of sec
fallanism. of bigotry, find that grea
deal of it comes from wrong education
In the home circle. There are parent
who do not think it wrong to caricatur
and jeer the peculiar forms of religion il
the weird. and denounce other sects an,
other denominations. 1t is very oftel
Z the case that that kind of education act
just opposite to what was expected, ans
the children grow up and, after while
go and see for themselves, and looking il
those churches and finding that tn
people are good there, and they love Co
and keep his commandments, by natura
reaction they go and join those yer.
churches. l could mention the names o
prominent ministers of the Gospel VIII
spent their whole lives bombarding othe